SON, Rivers Move Against Malnutrition

By Queen Kunde

SON, Rivers Move Against Malnutrition

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has intensified efforts to tackle malnutrition by pushing for stricter enforcement of food fortification policies across the country.

Speaking during separate meetings and a stakeholders’ workshop in Port Harcourt, the Director General of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, called on manufacturers and government agencies to ensure that staple foods such as salt, flour, sugar and edible oil are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals needed for healthy living.

Represented at the events by the Director of Human Resources, Mrs. Folorunsho Bolaji, and the South-South Regional Director, Mrs. Esther Okon, the SON boss described deficiencies in Vitamin A, Iron and Iodine as a major public health concern, especially among children and women.

According to SON, the deficiencies are affecting learning ability, reducing productivity and worsening the quality of life of millions of Nigerians.

At a strategic meeting with the Rivers State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, SON urged the state government to integrate food fortification into its programmes and support aggressive public awareness campaigns to combat what it described as “hidden hunger.”

Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Kelvin Nweke, pledged the state government’s support for the initiative but stressed the need for stronger collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Agriculture to make the campaign more effective.

Nweke also called for the establishment of clear channels through which Nigerians can report suspected cases of fake or substandard food products, insisting that stricter compliance measures are necessary to protect consumers.

In a related development, SON also met with food manufacturers in Port Harcourt, where producers of salt, sugar, flour and edible oil were urged to comply fully with the National Policy on Food Fortification.

Speaking at the workshop, Mrs. Esther Okon said manufacturers have a major responsibility in ensuring that fortified foods reach vulnerable groups, adding that “all hands must be on deck” to make the policy successful.

Head of Nutrition at SON, Mrs. Victoria Nsofor, warned consumers against buying unfortified food products, saying such items could pose serious risks to the physical and mental development of children.

The workshop brought together officials of the Rivers State Ministry of Health, major food producers and small-scale manufacturers to discuss strategies for tackling counterfeiting and other challenges affecting effective implementation of the policy.

Stakeholders at the meeting agreed that manufacturers must regularly monitor their distributors to prevent compromise in product quality and standards.

SON officials also visited the Rivers State Ministry of Health, where the Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr. Vincent Wachukwu, pledged support for stronger collaboration to enforce compliance with the Federal Government’s mandatory food fortification policy.